


The Opened Vault

by CubanCracker62



Series: World Guardian Magnolia [2]
Category: Runescape (Video Games)
Genre: Azzanadra has One (1) Whole Feeling, Gen, Maggie has never liked Azzanadra, Major spoilers from the Kharid-et digsite, The two are always taking jabs at each other and they always will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubanCracker62/pseuds/CubanCracker62
Summary: Magnolia meets a new face while poking around the lower levels of Kharid-et.MAJOR SPOILER WARNING for the Kharid-et digsite mysteries.
Series: World Guardian Magnolia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1215693
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	The Opened Vault

**Author's Note:**

> This is what happens when an interaction between characters feels too short and your inner fanfic gremlin screams "M O R E" while banging a variety of pots and pans.

The vault door slid open before Magnolia’s eyes, revealing a tall figure just inside.

Trindine. She felt an odd twinge of recognition in the back of her mind, recalling her almost perfectly from Kharshai’s memories. She looked exactly the same as then, but withered and skeletal. Painfully so. She looked much more skeletal than she’d ever seen any living mahjarrat look, if that was even possible.

Trindine stumbled as she stepped out, her legs giving out under her; Magnolia only just barely caught her before she hit the floor, though it was difficult with how much taller she was. It was evident that she didn’t even have enough energy left to stand on her own. 

Maggie wasted no time setting her down, leaning her against one of the ruined stone walls. She squinted as she looked at Maggie, looking as if a light was shining directly in her face. 

“...Sliske…” she said, along with a few muttered curses she didn’t recognize. “You infernal sack of shit. You took your sweet time.”

Between the mistaken identity and the colorful swearing at her, Maggie wasn’t sure how to respond. “Uh…”

“Wait.” She looked closer. “You’re not Sliske. Who are you? How did you find me?” she said sharply. 

“My name is Magnolia. And I had some help,” she admitted. 

Trindine looked at her suspiciously. “Whom do you serve?”

“That’s, uh… complicated,” she said tentatively. She looked at the Zarosian iconography in the ruins around them. She had a feeling telling her that she didn’t even _like_ her god wouldn’t make a good first impression. “But I am here to help. You’re Trindine, right?”

“...Yes.” Trindine relaxed a little bit. “I’m sorry. I’ve been stuck in the shadows for much too long. I was expecting someone else, and I mistook you for him.”

“Sliske, you mean?”

“You know him?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” she said acidly. “Only because he thought I was ‘entertaining’.”

Trindine shuddered a little. “I pity you, then.” She pushed herself up off the floor.

“What are you doing? You can barely stand!”

“I’m leaving,” she said curtly. She stood tall over her, but was still holding an outcrop on the wall in a death vice. “I appreciate your help and concern, Magnolia, but I refuse to spend another minute in this gods-forsaken place.”

Before Maggie could protest, with a ripple and an audible _crack_ , Azzanadra appeared before the two of them as he teleported in.

“Trindine! It really is you!”

“A-Azzanadra? You’re alive! I feared the worst when you assigned me here.”

“I could say the same for you, old friend. I thought you were long dead. When I suddenly sensed your presence, I had to come see for myself.” He turned to Maggie. “I assume you had something to do with this?”

“Yeah. I was looking further into the praetorium. _You’re welcome_ ,” she added. “Though I’m just as surprised as you are,” she admitted. 

“I’m more surprised you managed to ferret your way down here when a whole team of researchers couldn’t,” he retorted dryly. “Though I suppose anything you do shouldn’t surprise me anymore.”

“But how did you find me?” Trindine asked Magnolia. “I cloaked the entire place in the Shadow realm. You were never particularly strong with shadow magic either, Azzanadra. Neither of you should even be able to see me. Unless…” She turned to Azzanadra. “Are the defense pylons down?”

“Well… yes. They’ve decayed from age, they only rarely work now,” he explained.

“Age?” she said with alarm. “Azzanadra, how long has it been?”

Azzanadra hesitated for a moment, then addressed Maggie. “Magnolia, if you could step outside for a moment? Trindine and I have much to discuss, and it is a conversation I would rather we have in private,” he said. 

Some part of her wanted to spite him and argue, but the words died before she could say them; beneath the usual thinly veiled irritation, Maggie could see a faint mix of sadness and sympathy in his expression. It was definitely not a look she was used to seeing him with.

For once, she decided to drop it. “Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll be up at the tents.”

* * *

For once in her life, Azzanadra wasn’t looking at her with any hint of disdain, like something he’d scraped off his boot. He looked at her with a level expression, almost as if she had actually earned a single mote of respect out of him. It was actually starting to creep her out.

“So you’re going to spend some time helping her?” she asked.

“Of course. She has proven to be a valuable friend and ally in the past, and it is my responsibility as Pontifex,” he explained. Naturally, he had taken the form of Dr. Nabanik once more, now that they were both in broad daylight. “Why do you ask?”

Maggie shrugged. “I just figured if there was anyone who could relate to what Trindine just went through, it was you.”

Azzanadra’s eye twitched at that, a clear sign that she’d struck a particularly sore nerve. Ouch. She immediately regretted her choice of words; that may have been a bit too far.

Aaand his disdain was back.

“I suppose you are correct,” he said. “While I do appreciate your work here, you would be wise to choose your words more carefully. I am willing to tolerate your behavior for now, but Trindine may not be so patient. Or forgiving.”

“...Sorry.” She only half meant it, but that was a half more than usual.

“I doubt it,” he replied dourly. “I’m well aware of your dislike of me, Magnolia. You’ve made that very clear in the past, and I can assure you the feeling is mutual,” he said. “Now leave. I will call for you should you be required again.”

And that she did. She left the dig site and walked through the tall gates of Al Kharid, grumbling to herself most of the way. As she made her way through the bustling streets, she paused in front of Shantay Pass, thinking about everything that had just happened. 

The other Mahjarrat were definitely going to notice Trindine’s sudden presence, and that included Wahisietel. She had a feeling she was going to have more than a few questions to answer next time they met. Although now that she thought about it, she also had a few questions herself: Trindine seemed decent enough, but Maggie didn’t know anything about her. But Ali the Wise might.

Her mind made up, she went off to get some desert supplies. It was time for her to visit Nardah.

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a whole day writing in a frenzy like a madlad, so naturally I added some polish and slapped it onto Ao3 before I could have second thoughts. No regrets. B)
> 
> Seriously, the Vault of Shadows mystery ending. I probably won't get anywhere near starting that mystery, but I'm still super excited about it. (also, I love Trindine. thank you for coming to my ted talk)
> 
> Also I was lowkey inspired by [fenn's fic go read it its super good](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298522)


End file.
